Tl.'KKEY IN ASIA SYRIA. 311 



seems to excel all others in tbe quality, durability, and design of the 

 carpets it produces. 



There is also a good quality of rugs made in a village called Fakeh 

 or Fiki, which are marketed at from 88 to $20 per piece. Fakeh is dis- 

 tant about 25 miles from Baalbek, and politically belongs to the dis- 

 trict of the same name in the Vilayet of Syria. 



II. LOOM^, ETC. 



Power looms do not exist in Syria, and, although it has not been 

 possible to ascertain the precise number of "hand 7 ' looms, it may be ap- 

 proximately stated as 350 in all. They are of the simplest construc- 

 tion, and are thus described by eye-witnesses : 



Small pegs to which yarns of desired colors are attached are driven 

 close together into the ground. The yarn is carried along the ground 

 the required length and fastened to a corresponding row of pegs. Be- 

 ginning at the left hand the threads are separated with a strip of board 

 of various widths, generally, however, about 4 inches, which permits 

 the tossing of a ball of the woof; no shuttles are used, a simple ball of 

 yarn replacing them. This board is then advanced about a foot and 

 turned on its Hat side, the operator taking a coarse wooden comb to bring 

 the woof together, a rather long and tedious process. One operator 

 ^an scarcely make more than 3 or 4 inches of carpet per diem ; but if 

 exceptionally skillful, may succeed in accomplishing 6 inches. To make 

 the average-sized carpet, for instance, of 3 pics or 2J yards long by 2 

 pics, 1J yards wide, would consume at least six weeks of continuous or 

 uninterrupted work, which is not possible, as the operator is a woman 

 who has domestic duties to perform, besides devoting much time to 

 field labor, such as sowing, reaping, etc., at certain seasons of the year. 



Every loom has a female attendant or worker, who is sometimes as. 

 sisted by a young girl, and the carpet industry in Syria is exclusively 

 in the hands of women. 



Most of the rugs are made with a small square of some decided color, 

 generally blue upon a black ground, placed in a very conspicuous place, 

 intended to ward off the "evil eye." 



III. GRADES OF CARPETS. 



All the carpets produced in Syria are made of u pure" wool of the 

 ordinary quality grown in the country. 



IV. NUMBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED, ETC. 



The number of persons engaged iu the carpet-making in the Tripoli 

 district is problematical, but probably does not exceed 500. As there 

 are no factories, and every woman works on her own account, no wages 

 are received or paid; the assistant, if more than one person is engaged 

 upou a single loom, generally being the child of the operator, as has 



